The Wander Lifehttp://thewanderlife.com
Travel Think TankThu, 10 Nov 2016 21:29:20 +0000en-UShourly1https://wordpress.org/?v=4.6.1Hydra, Lovers’ Paradisehttp://thewanderlife.com/hydra-lovers-paradise/
http://thewanderlife.com/hydra-lovers-paradise/#respondThu, 13 Oct 2016 01:21:09 +0000http://thewanderlife.com/?p=5590I was an Athenian last Summer, and like any good Athenian, I used to take weekend trips to islands near Athens. My favorite escapade was to Hydra,

The island famous for the absence of motor vehicles (you can choose between walking or riding a donkey) is extremely chic, with stylish shops and luxury accommodation. The beaches are mostly rocky, but the colors of the sea make up for the absence of sand.

Nereid’s Guest House had the most fabulous room I enjoyed during my Greek sejour, and the owner recommended OSTRIA, a restaurant owned by a fisherman where we had the most delicious fresh calamari.

I never ceased to be amazed about the distinct personality of each Greek island. They each have their own traditional dishes, sometimes even their own musical styles, they have different vibes and are visited by different crowds.

Hydra is unquestionably, the best choice for a quick romantic escapade out of Athens.

Donald Trump’s robotic teleprompter-induced apology about talking about touching women’s privates without asking for their permission, is yet another reminder that the U.S. election is going to be decided exactly like a wrestling match. Did anybody doubt that Trump looks down on women? Wasn’t the fact that he has married one Barbie after another proof enough? Should we really act shocked? Surprised?

This war of the scandals that decides elections is nothing new. But only the people are losing the battle. Every minute spent discussing what Trump said and what Clinton said, what mistake they made 15 years go, is a minute lost in discussing the issues that really matter.

Frankly, I cannot be outraged anymore. One scandal after another, it can render you numb to the whole thing. So, what? Trump wants to grab your pussy (if you have one). This is a man who wants to build a wall to keep Mexicans out of the US and possibly wants to go and bomb some more Middle Eastern countries to “respond with force” to terrorism. And all we care about is that he said he wanted to grab a woman’s genitals?

Granted, the Trump not only talked the talk, he also walked the walk. He has been sued for attempted rape. For Jill Harth, the alleged victim, the media circus we are witnessing has entirely different connotations. She has expressed relief, because now people will believe her allegations.

People appalled by the possibility of a Trump-run America may welcome the latest developments in this dirty race as a way out of impending doom. But I believe we should all be lamenting the demise of true democracy. For the system requires people who can think for themselves and make their own decisions.

When people are steered by the nose and manipulated so easily, when ideas cease to matter, and political shows look a lot like celebrity gossip shows, democracy suffers. Every time a sensationalist, scandalous video involving one of the candidates goes viral, we, the people, lose a little bit of power.

Trump´s apology video

Every time a candidate robotically reads from a teleprompter words written by a ghostwriter under the supervision of a mercenary advisor, we move further away from democracy and closer to a sinister puppet show. And while it may seem like the puppets are the candidates, in true “Veep” spirit, the reality is that it’s us who are the puppets. We become outraged as the media expects, we repeat the words and ideas of news commentators –Fox News or CNN, your pick– we can no longer decide, because all the decisions have been made for us beforehand.

In no time, whoever wins, Bill and Hillary will have Trump and wife #X over for dinner, and they will have a jolly good time. Bill and Donnie will compare their groped-pussy collections, and everyone will have a hearty laugh. Meanwhile, democracy will remain the empty vessel it has already become.

Related Images:

]]>http://thewanderlife.com/viaje-hacia-la-luz-nicolas-ibarburu-prepara-su-proximo-disco/feed/0Eight nights a week – Enjoying Montevideo´s Overflow of Musical Talenthttp://thewanderlife.com/eight-nights-a-week-enjoying-montevideos-overflow-of-musical-talent/
http://thewanderlife.com/eight-nights-a-week-enjoying-montevideos-overflow-of-musical-talent/#respondFri, 20 May 2016 05:37:23 +0000http://thewanderlife.com/?p=5517Last week was one of the most exciting ones of my year so far. On the one hand, I just booked my stay in Crete and got plane tickets for my European summer adventure. On the other hand, I decided to stop repressing certain feelings and ideas and fight for certain dreams that once seemed to be in the palm of my hand. It has been the most creative time of the year for me, and that certainly put me in high spirits to enjoy everything the city has to offer.

After writing articles for TheRichest, Elite Daily, some attorney blogs, and what not, during the day, I was usually up for dinner and a show, and shows were not lacking. The 8-night week began last Tuesday, when my sister got us both tickets to see the Benefit Concert for Dino and Dolores. Dino is a Uruguayan music legend, who also happens to be one of the local residents affected by the tornado in Dolores.

I wasn´t planning to go to that concert. I tend to have an aversion to the whole idea of charity and benefits. I believe the fight is elsewhere. We need to fight for and contribute to a state that does not allow situations where such charitable events are needed. But I am so glad I was there.

Dino Benefit

The Adela Retta theater, where the concert was held, reminded me of the Met in New York. I had already been there, but my sister hadn´t, and she was really impressed by the architecture and the organization. In a city where local musicians are often left to play at tiny bars with poor sound quality, it is always a treat to see massive Uruguayan talent shine in a big theater with balconies like the Adela Retta or the Solis. When all the seats are taken and the audience is as thrilled as it was that night, it´s just sheer nirvana.

There were a lot of artists on stage that night, and some introductions by two anchormen. I was impressed by the way the storytelling was weaved into the songs and the participants` identities. The show was carefully planned as an emotional journey, and it totally worked, even for one as averse to what we in Spanish call “easy tears.” In a way, the story being told was that of Dino´s musical career, which is also an important part of the history of Uruguayan music.

I was moved to tears by Fernando Cabrera, which usually happens to me when he opens his mouth to sing one of his best songs. I found myself being tremendously moved by Falta y Resto, although Uruguayan murga is not one of my favorite musical genres; but a perfect song is a perfect song, whatever the genre. I was tremendously pleased to see one of my favorite Uruguayan bands, Los Kafkarudos, get one of the biggest ovations of the night, and I was also moved to tears by Numa Moraes, someone I probably had never seen live before.

One of the things that impressed me the most was the amount of fabulous, soulful guitarists this land has given us. My favorite one, Nico Ibarburu was also onstage, but seeing all the older guitarists I had never seen or heard little about, I realized about the true dimension of Uruguay´s musical talent, a vast scenery overflowing with unique treasures from all the corners of the land, not just the capital, just waiting to be discovered.

Monica Navarro was the female star of the night. I somehow had usually heard her more rock-girl side, and I was completely disarmed by the sweetness with which she rendered Mandrake Wolf´s Miriam entró al Hollywood, right after the MCs set the scene by telling the story of how Dino had met the love of his life.

It was a pleasure to watch the stagehands swiftly handling all the complexities of such a challenging series of performances, and the choice of having no drum set onstage and focusing mainly on guitar music was a total hit. The very heart of Uruguay was on stage that night, and I suspect the better half of it is made of guitars.

Photos by Alvaro García Illarze

After the emotional journey ended, my sister Fabi and I bumped into some of the musicians we knew and got some tasty backstage gossip: our favorite story is that there was no alcohol in the backstage area, something no one in the audience might have imagined. I thought about what a brilliant idea it was that Guzmán Mendaro, whom we have known for many years as a rock guitarist, joined Alejandro Spuntone to make a duo of guitar and voice, which my sister is a big fan of and whose performance I really appreciated. I thought about the fabulous songs of Los Kafkarudos, and their philosophically meaningful lyrics. And about Garo´s soulful solo project. One might have thought that night alone was proof enough that Uruguay has too much talent to handle. But there would be much more.

Tango, Piano Bar, and more

Piano bar every Tuesday through May at El Mingus

After the show, we had a drink and delicious pizza at Bar Brecha with Kafkarudos member Alejandro Ferradás, also an incredible songwriter. Tuesday night may be the busiest night in Montevideo nightlife, judging by what we found everywhere we went. First, all of the Kafkarudos were supposed to have some pizza at Bar Girasoles, but it was poetry night, not very conducive to conversation. Bar Brecha had a tango night, people were dancing, and there would be a show later. El Mingus, one of our favorite places,. had Hernan Peyrou´s piano bar night; a total treat because somehow he always plays all my favorite songs with delicious gusto. Our night ended at Martes on Fire, a now established jam. I used to love it, but now the band there always plays the same songs. After trying out several singers, they stuck with a good one, but I don´t find life there. In spite of the virtuosos in the band, which include some of my favorite players, somehow nothing happens or just not enough local music happens. I really regret that, because it is in every other way a great place to be. In my view, the Martes on Fire band is in desperate need of s singer who can be as creative with vocals as the band is with their instruments.

Candombe Jam & Los Cuerpos Guest Appearance

So, Tuesday was busy for us, but then came Wednesday. The candombe jam had moved to my neighborhood. I had kind of been singing Rada and Jorginho Gularte at home every day, and just couldn´t wait. Double treat was that although few people came to see the show, the better part of the audience was made up of musicians who came with their instruments. Nino Restuccia was on bass, which is not always the case with that jam and was a very lucky coincidence.

The best candombe tunes were played with passion and soul. I don´t know if it was because we were in the birthplace of candombe, in Barrio Sur, but it was one of the best candombe jam nights ever. At one point, there were four or five wind instruments on stage, and though I am not a fan of brass-y music in general, the Mateo,Rada, and Opa tunes sounded amazing. Los Cuerpos, well, half of them made a stellar appearance, and I was reminded of why I was so excited that such a band existed: a young band creating new and great candombe music & lyrics. That was the third time in the week that I crossed paths with the pianist from Mingus, who also happened to be the accordion player from the Dino benefit, and the lead singer/pianist/guitarist of Los Cuerpos.

The jam was so powerful that I ended up writing a poem about it, which is dedicated to Christian Fattoruso, someone who might have appreciated that night as much as I did.

On Thursday, I actually attended a private party, so, nothing to tell in the way of live music, but it was still a night out. By then, I had already began wondering when I was gonna get a night in…

On Friday, I cooked for my sister and some girlfriends, we sang some Sting and Johnny Cash karaoke, and then headed out into the night again. We ended up going to one of the few places that plays music we enjoy dancing to, and danced the night away. I also gave a lecture on true love to a boy who chatted me up for hours, but to no avail. When the taxi driver who took me home told me it was 7:30 AM, I was incredulous.

By Saturday, I was kind of beat. I did some work, recorded some songs for someone who has created many beautiful tunes for me, and really thought I would finally get my night in. But my friend Marialis called me to invite me to see Fede Graña y los prolijos. To me, that kind of band name is already like bad news. It tells me its a kind of band with mediocre players and “cool” sounding lyrics that are, at heart, also mediocre; the kind of low fi band millennials swear by. Alas, I was surprised.

Fede Graña y los prolijos is a really cool band. They like to mix styles, they are not mediocre players, and really, they are super fun to watch. After Fede Graña and then Sirilos, another band for millennials, presumably, we polished the floors dancing like mad to some of the coolest Latin songs ever. On Friday, we had stepped briefly into a place called something like NOX, and were appalled by the uninteresting tunes by dull hitmakers like Marama and Rombai. We simply couldn´t stomach the monotony, and we left. But the DJ at Bluzz Live actually played Latin music that has great beat and variation, and beautiful melodies, and everything a song needs to have to get you dancing. With nights like that, who needs a gym?

LOS CUERPOS at El Mingus, twice

For Sunday night, I had made a reservation to see LOS CUERPOS at El Mingus. The first show was so good, that we stayed for the second one. The songs that are not on their first CD, which I didn´t know, were utterly delicious. Hernán Peyrou´s voice was disarming, the drummer and the percussionist´s enthusiasm was contagious. The whole band sounded incredible. It was a proper band. Not just some friends who got together to play music. These are people who take their music very seriously, and I personally see them as the inheritors of Mateo, of Rada, and Jorginho. I was moved to tears by one emotional song, and found myself singing the choruses of several. I remembered the first time I had seen Los Cuerpos at Mingus a few years ago, just randomly, not having planned to. I thought they were great then, but I would have never anticipated their brilliant present and auspicious future. One charming aspect of their performance was a guest appearance by Peyrou´s son, Nico Ibarburu´s son, and some other little guy I don´t know, rapping about wanting a lollypop. with those guys waiting in the sidelines, Uruguayan music is covered for at least another half century.

So, if you count the shows I saw between Tuesday and Sunday, there were 8; 8 nights in barely a week. I just did the piano bar and the candombe jam this week. The piano bar was heaven. The candombe jam has been suffering from moving around and finding it hard to connect with an audience, but luckily, starting in June, it will move to El Tartamudo, an ideal venue for it. I would like to see the candombe jam, grow, get more professional, charge more for tickets (currently under 3 dollars), and make it possible for musicians to rehearse. It would be nice to see it happening at a place with good sound, and it would be wonderful if foreigners could discover it.

For a couple of years, I lived far from Uruguay. I moved away for love, and I will never regret it. But when I was dancing to La Mama Vieja at the jam or listening to a brand new candombe song by Los Cuerpos, I realized there is no other place I´d rather be. I´m partial, it´s a given, but I believe there is nothing like Uruguayan music anywhere else in the world. Our only problem is just excess of talent. There are probably worse problems to be had…

BONUS: One of the greatest Uruguayan music albums of all time, for your listening pleasure

NOTE: I tried to include links to music and official pages. Follow the artists on social media to receive info of upcoming concerts.

]]>http://thewanderlife.com/eight-nights-a-week-enjoying-montevideos-overflow-of-musical-talent/feed/010 OKCupid Messages From Men that Almost Sent Me to a Nunneryhttp://thewanderlife.com/10-okcupid-messages-from-men-that-almost-sent-me-to-a-nunnery/
http://thewanderlife.com/10-okcupid-messages-from-men-that-almost-sent-me-to-a-nunnery/#respondFri, 06 May 2016 17:53:12 +0000http://thewanderlife.com/?p=5500Before social media took over our lives, dating was very different. When two people meet for the first time in real life, the conversation rarely revolves about sexual preferences, for example. But the anonymity of the Internet allows that and more.

I joined OKCupid a year ago, basically to remind myself that after breaking up with a great love, there could still be hope to find that perfect someone again. In some ways, I can say that it did the trick. At least on the screen, I was able to find many profiles that meet the intellectual, emotional, and physical characteristics that might make a man I could love.

But alongside that, and the ego boost of having interesting men telling me that they found me interesting too, I discovered a whole Universe of people with little people skills, men who have no idea of how to talk to a woman; sometimes Big Bang Theory style, but sometimes not because they were geeky or nerdy, just because they seemed too desperate to be able to think straight.

From an anthropological standpoint, I have been really interested in reading the wackiest messages I received, and even talking to the men a little, to see if they were for real. Because OKC asks so many questions about sexual preferences, ethics, and what not, the possibilities for research on the platform are endless.

While I haven’t written my academic research piece on online dating as yet, I decided I needed to share some of the craziest messages I have received with the world, in case the search remains fruitless and someone needs an explanation when I finally give up on dating altogether.

1. Aren’t you Tired of Walking Alone? Marry Me!

So, nobody wants to walk alone, right? Mr. Ahmad (not his real name, but close), a little mustached man from the United Arab Emirates, in an impeccable Armani suit, thought no better than to introduce himself to me by referring to the discomfort associated with walking on one’s own and the necessity of “holding each other’s hand.” Not knowing very well how to respond to the marriage proposal included in his first message, I never got around to sending a reply.

2. Want a Free Vacation? Come Have Sex with Me.

In the case of Arslan (all names have been changed to give the boys a chance if they should ever message you on OKC..), the problem was not the message, but the profile. Arslan said something to me like, “hey, gorgeous,” one of those super creative and engaging messages boys are often inclined to sending my way. When I went to look at his profile, the initial “about me” section read, “Want a free vacation on a beach in Turkey? All you have to do is pay for your plane ticket.” So, apparently, anyone willing to shack up with Arslan on a beach in Turkey (surely an enticing destination), could get free room and board. I am still considering the offer.

3. Sexually Submissive?

So, maybe I am, maybe I’m not. But what I do know is I never want someone to ask that question before saying hello. Is that only me?

4. You a Virgin?

Before telling you about this particular character (let’s call him Arun), I have to explain a little bit about my profile. It says very clearly that I equally appreciate the physical and the intellectual, and it offers several details about just how important a fulfilling, mind-blowing sex life is for me.

So, I’m quietly having dinner with a friend from London and my phone beeps with a message from Arun, who says he’s interested in knowing me better. He is a student at some Ivy League University, which may be a good sign as to his intellectual worth (or not). My friend, who knows all about the “sexually submissive” message tells me, “see, there are some normal men out there for you!”

But then I get home and look at Arun’s profile. I always go to “Unacceptable answers” first, which shows you whatever they said that you are completely against, because I want to be able to disqualify candidates fast. So, I find that Arun prefers to date a virgin.

I am puzzled as to why he is talking to me in the first place. After a long argument about me wanting an equal and he preferring to teach the woman about sex (double yikes), I tell him that we are incompatible, and he replies, “so, what can I do if I want to fuck/make love to a girl who thinks we are incompatible.” I begged Arun to talk to some female friends in order to learn how to talk to a woman. I seriously doubt he will. Needless to say, anyone who puts that slash where he put it has a minus one million chance of ever dating me.

5. How’s Your Monday/Sunday/Tuesday/Thursday… Ad Nauseam

OK, this one’s not wacky, but it is one of the most annoying things I ever receive. Consider that my profile mentions that I am writer, that I am into Borges and Max Frisch, Shakespeare and Keats, stuff like that, and I clearly state that I am attracted to minds. Is “how’s your Monday” really the best thing you can come up with to attract an intellectual?

Also, how is a Monday different from a Wednesday? I just don’t get it. If I had to make a statistic of most frequent messages, “how’s your FILL IN THE BLANK” would be right up there. To me, what it says is the person in question has nothing interesting to say and that is the best they could come up with. I don’t want a Shakespeare sonnet, but some effort and creativity would be nice.

6. Go on, Say Yes, You Know You Want to

I receive many variations of this. People assuming a great deal, before even mentioning why there might be a connection between us, and just talking like we are both aware of some truth that I never received a memo about.

“I don’t know what the question is,” I once replied to a “Say Yes” from a guy who looked like my grandpa. And speaking of that, an awareness of how we might look in a picture together, i.e. would people think we are grandpa and granddaugther, is REALLY something to be desired.

7. Hey Sexy, Wanna Play Board Games with Me All Night?

I recently received a “Hey sexy” message from a boy who described himself as someone who loves “playing video games, board games, and binging on Netflix.” That was at the top of his profile, so, one might assume it’s really important to him. My question is, “what on Earth does this guy need a sexy woman for?” If he had taken the time to read my profile, he would know that my only reason for binging on Netflix is not having someone special to do something more interesting with, and that I wouldn’t be caught dead playing a video game. A very basic theory is that men just look at photos and never read your profile before writing to you. A more complex theory would be that most people do not take the time to learn who they are before they begin the hunt.

8. Your Hat Is the Same Color as Mine, It Must Be True Love!

There are many variations of this; establishing total compatibility based on a random fact. Just today, I received a message saying, “I had to write you when I saw that one of your pictures was dated on my birthday.”

9. How Can You Be an Empath and an Atheist?

I can’t explain this one, but I did get it recently. I just don’t understand the connection. Perhaps it means that only people who believe in god can give a dime about their fellow humans? I’m really at a loss.

The truth is I commonly get questions of this type, meant as some weird form of small talk. “How are you a humanist?” “If we went to dinner, what would you order?” It would seem that sometimes, on OKC, randomness rules and logic is out to lunch.

10. You Seem Nice But Are Your Boobs Real?

This is from one of my favorite messages ever. This cute 20-something boy, younger than me, sent me a message with a bunch of very direct questions:

“Will you be faithful?

Will my family like you?

Are you bright and employed?

Are you funny?

Are your breasts real?

Are you completely shaved?

Are you easily frazzled?

Will we look appropriate and classy together… and will we be stable?

If that offends you… sorry!”

My favorite ones were the one about the boobs and, “will my family like you?”

There surely was one guy who didn’t like to leave anything to the imagination. I wonder why he assumed I might be offended…

In case you are reading this, cute 20-something, they’re real, and they are spectacular.

(If you get the Seinfeld ref, please, by all means, OKC me!)

]]>http://thewanderlife.com/10-okcupid-messages-from-men-that-almost-sent-me-to-a-nunnery/feed/0Between plastic waste and polluted tap water – Post World Water Day Reflectionshttp://thewanderlife.com/between-plastic-waste-and-polluted-tap-water-post-world-water-day-reflections/
http://thewanderlife.com/between-plastic-waste-and-polluted-tap-water-post-world-water-day-reflections/#respondWed, 06 Apr 2016 16:23:05 +0000http://thewanderlife.com/?p=5489When I lived in Seattle, my ex used to think I was crazy for boiling potatoes with Evian. I, on the other hand, had to watch him drink water from one of those completely useless Brita pitchers.

Saving the Whales

The plastic in our oceans kills whales. I once knew an environmentalist who traveled the world in a tiny boat raising awareness about ocean pollution, and he told me the ghastly stories of finding the stomachs of dead whales pumped full of plastics. (The environmentalist did trash my summer house worse than corporations trash oceans, but that´s another story). Anyway, I am very aware what plastic does. But what if I want to put really good water inside my body, only?

The Fracking Disaster

It all started when I watched a documentary entitled Drill, baby, drill. It was about fracking in Pennsylvania and Poland. It showed how Chevron was basically systematically polluting subterranean water in order to extract fuels using the method of fracking. Among other things, it showed people taking black water from the tap in Pennsylvania and lab tests that showed water had many pages of chemicals, including several radioactive ones.

One of my ex´s arguments was that the water in Seattle was fabulous because it came from the mountains, but looking at the ranking of tap water across America, I discovered that Seattle was not at the top of the list.

Endangered Aquifers

In 2016, even places where tap water used to be immaculate like Uruguay, a country that sits on the planet´s largest aquifer, are having problems. The extensive soy plantation is ruining Uruguay´s fresh water bodies, and this is something that is also happening in many other places.

Personally, after seeing all of this, I have been sticking with guaranteed quality bottled water, which I try to obtain in 2-gallon containers whenever possible, to diminish plastic pollution.

When it comes to filters, only a combination of several processes, including carbon filters and distillation can guarantee that the water will be truly immaculate.

Still, I am torn between what is best for my health and what is best for the planet. Personally, I think there is no one-way solution to get us out of this mess.

Water Recycling

I have seen some great initiatives. For example, systems that recycle water from sinks for use in toilets. Naturally, another thing we could be doing is recycle the whole thing, I mean, except from the water that comes out of our toilets, the rest could all be recycled and made drinkable again.

In fact, when I worked on cruise ships (don´t get me started on the water there), during our training, we were told the ships had the technology to make even toilet water drinkable, and that they used these systems before dumping water into the ocean.

One thing we could all do today is demand from our leaders better programs for quality control of tap water and legislation to ensure that fracking does not ruin our precious aquifers. I feel that banning plastic bottles only solves part of the problem. The other thing is that we need to be ready to invest on these things. Tap water has traditionally been cheap. I feel that it would be great to make tap water still affordable yet also sustainable. And I certainly believe many people wouldn´t mind paying a bit more to ensure that our grandchildren and our grandchildren´s children will still have delicious, life-giving H2O for many centuries to come.

After watching The Night Manager and the bulk of the 2016 Academy Award winning films, it’s official: film has nothing on TV. Actors, industry players and audiences alike have been talking about it for years, and 2016 has made it clearer than ever before: TV is where creativity is at these days.

Neither Spotlight, nor The Ravenant, nor The Big Short, not even Brooklyn, were as exciting as the BBC’s adaptation of John Le Carré’s novel. The year before there was Boyhood, there was Birdman, it seemed that things were happening, but much as the documentation process of Spotlight may be admirable or the cinematography of The Ravenant may be remarkable, we have seen all of that before. We hadn’t, however, seen The Night Manager. And fortunately, there are several shows that confirm the fact that there is currently more excitement going on in BBC, Netflix, and Amazon series than in the bulk of Hollywood’s feature production.

If you are done with your last favorite show binge and are looking for something else to keep you wanting more, these shows are guaranteed to provide satisfaction.

1. The Night Manager

We all know John Le Carré knows screenwriting, but there is a reason this 6-episode BBC drama has become Le Carré’s top-rated creation on Rottentomatoes. The first cool thing the BBC did here, besides choosing a great novel to adapt to the screen, was hire Danish director –and Academy award winner– Susanne Bier; The Night Manager is in every possible way, a cinematic delight. Bier directs with a firm hand, making us wish that more female directors got the chance to do action and thrillers. Second thing of coolness: the BBC spent 20 million pounds on the show (no wonder they were upset when the finale was leaked one week before airing). Third, the casting is superb, Hugh Laurie is golden as an arms dealer/philanthropist, and the protagonist, Tom Hiddleston is a total find. British girls may have swooned in unison when he showed his butt, but the man’s got talent in other parts too. As for the plot, all you need to know is that it’s an exciting thriller that women will love too, the rest, it’s best if you discover it on your own.

Number of seasons: 1

Will there be more: Yes

2. And Then There Were None

Agatha Christie is a classic for a reason. If you like stories that keep you guessing till the very end, you will love this BBC adaptation set in a remote island somewhere off the coast of England. The plot is quintessential Christie: place 10 characters isolated from civilization and keep them guessing as to who amongst them may be murdering them one by one. You will most certainly end up watching the three parts in a single day. The show includes some eye candy for the ladies in the shape of gorgeous Aidan Turner.

Number of seasons: 1

Will there be more: No, it´s a mini-series.

3. Banshee

Speaking of eye-candy, this Cinemax show, available on Amazon instant video, features one of the sexiest couples on TV: sexy bad boy Antony Starr and the breathtaking Ivana Millicevic. It’s a Cinemax show, so, steamy scenes are a given. The show was created by Alan Ball, of American Beauty and Six feet under fame, and it shows. The premise is exciting: what if an ex-con posed as the new sheriff in town? Ball and his posse take this idea to the most unimaginable extremes. Of course, the story wouldn’t be complete without some exciting villains: a ruthless slaughterhouse owner with an Amish past and an Eastern European crime tsar known as Rabbit, who is intent on killing his own offspring. Banshee has a lot of blood, punches, kicks, and explosions, but the story is so powerful that it will keep both men and women happy, and season 3 has been everything fans of the show expected from it.

Number of seasons: 4

Will there be more: Fourth season started April 1st, 2016, it will be the last one.

4. Limitless

A show usually needs a powerful premise that can carry through many seasons. Limitless, which derived from the film of the same name, has a perfect premise: what if there were a pill that allowed you use 100% of your brain for a few hours? The show’s success, however, stems from its unusual main character. Limitless is funny, because Brian Finch is a pot-head and an underachiever, he has never done anything right in his life, until now. Of course, having Dexter’s sister as his FBI “handler” helps too. If you are looking for some good, no strings attached fun, this is the show for you.

Number of seasons: 1

Will there be more: Very likely

5. Elementary

The previous season of Elementary was not fantastic, but in 2016, the show has come to conquer all. Lucy Liu and Jonny Lee Miller are still a dream team for a prime time show, and Sherlock’s autistic love interest has revealed an aspect of the character we hadn’t yet seen. Elementary is already a classic, and the second half of Season 4 has everything its fans could possibly want.

6. Catastrophe

This quirky show about an unwanted pregnancy and the American guy who moves to England to raise his child after a one-night stand is surprisingly funny and realistic at the same time. Free from clichés and featuring original characters, Catastrophe is seldom what you expect it to be, and that is a good thing. Season 2 is coming to Amazon Prime in April.

Number of seasons: 2

Will there be more: Yes

7. Master of None

A fun show whose main character is an aspiring actor of Indian origin living in New York. A breath of fresh air after show after show featuring stereotypical immigrants, such as the Latina protagonists of Cristela and Jane, the Virgin. This Indian guy actually rings true, and the show is really funny. Season 1 is available on Netflix, Season 2 is in the works.

Number of seasons: 1

Will there be more: Yes

8. Vinyl

Finestra & the King, talking shop in Vegas

This one is painful to watch. At least so far. How badly can these record company guys keep losing? Set in 1970s New York, Vinyl, which is co-produced by Mick Jagger and Martin Scorsese, tries to present a somewhat realistic picture of those crazy times, lots of drugs, lots of sex, and lots of very bad decisions. If you wanna see Elvis and Robert Plant discussing career moves with Bobby Cannavale’s “Richie Finestra,” you will totally dig Vinyl.

Number of seasons: 1

Will there be more: Yes

9. House of Cards

Everyone loved House of cards from the beginning. You have probably already binge-watched the whole fourth season, but there is one thing; because it was election year, we all thought House of cards was going to be legend, and the fact is that it was good, but it was nowhere as exciting as in its early days. It’s basically more of the same, but if you loved it before, you probably love it now too.

Number of seasons: 4

Will there be more: Yes

10. Fargo

If you still haven’t watched Fargo’s first and second seasons, stop everything you are doing and tune in right now. Season 1 was a triumph, largely thanks to Billy Bob Thornton’s exquisite villain. Season 2, Kirsten Dunst and all, was nowhere near as exciting, but with Fargo’s team of writers and directors, we can only expect great things for season 3.